With over 20 years of experience covering the Steelers for the Observer-Reporter, Dale Lolley will let you know the insider scoop. Dale can also be heard on the Steelers radio network pre-game show on WDVE-FM game days and Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. on ESPN 970-AM and WDVE during the season as a host of the Antonio Brown Show. Follow him on Twitter at @dlolleyor

11 comments:

I think that the further we move toward the season, the higher the likelihood that there may be no free agent period at all. This thought may just be my wish that we get to keep Taylor one more year without having to pay market value for him.

Not having a free agent period may actually benefit teams like the Redskins who are like the spoiled children of the league. Telling them "NO!" to the next Haynesworth may actually improve team chemistry because the players will not just feel that they are easily replacable by free agency.

It is little talked about in the league, but I think it is much different psychologically for a veteran to have to fight off a rookie, than to know that the team can and will just go out and buy a high priced veteran to replace him. It must create a lot more insecurity and less attachment to the team than you get in the Steelers organization. One of the biggest keys to winning is that each player buys into the team. If half of the players could care less about if they play with the team or somewhere else, then you see half effort and subsequent results. The same thing happens with new coaches every year.

For as much as I hate BA and blame him for that very risky call in the first half where Kemo messed up and Ben threw the interception, I can't knock the offensive success we have had during his reign of terror :-)

Part of that, I think is in spite of BA not because of him, but I do think sometimes sticking with a subpar coach or player, and not just jumping on the next big thing, provides a consitancy, reliability, and comfort that you can never find with the Redskins or a lot of teams just like them.

So I am glad, in some ways :-), that the Rooneys, and Tomlin stand up to the spoiled fans and tell them "NO", we are keeping Arians despite how much you hate him.

Arian's biggest flaw, as I see it, is not understanding the team he has.

If we had a team with a fantastic line Arian's would be a great OC. Yet he is subpar not solely because we have a bad line, but because he calls plays based on his fantasy instead of reality.

In his dream, Arian's would drop Ben back deep in his own endzone for 15 seconds. Nobody would touch him as rushers bounced off Dawson, Webster, and Faneca. His receivers would casually run 100 yards down the field and Ben would drop in a perfect pass to win the game. We don't have that type of offensive line. The only time that play works is when Ben makes it work by dumping rushers on his own (as he is the 6th olineman)

Yet time after time I see plays called that indicate Arian's thinks we must have that type of line (and that kind of time in the backfield).

I am not blaming BA for the lack of line play, I am blaming him for not seeing it and adjusting his play accordingly. It is pretty bad when the president has to step in and tell the coach to play more conservatively.

The truth is that even with slightly more conservative play calling Ben can make things happen.

It is clear that the dynamic on the team is that we have a great QB who loves to have the ball in his hand and will only run as a last resort (both for himself and in his effort to avoid calling running plays).

Having a good deal of play calling control in the hands of your 100 million dollar quarterback is invariably important and a good thing (especially in the no-huddle). Yet it is folly not to ever reign Ben in, (and say, "Hey Ben, I think this is a time we should run the ball and then punt"). I love the fact that Ben is always willing to try to go for it and win. I think we have won a ton of games because of his desire.

Less well known, however, are the games we have lost because of going for broke. It takes wisdom to get the balance right and it is easy to monday morning quaterback the situation, but to me, we err on the side of gunslinging with a sub par oline.

That and our secondary getting isolated on an island (when our pass rush that takes a half second too long against a top qb) are really the only vulnerabilities on our team.

Both were exploited by the Packers and two key players who would have helped (Pouncey and McFadden) were both injured.